Bicycles have two types of braking systems. A foot operated bicycle brake operates in the hub of the rear wheel of the bicycle to stop the wheel from rotating. Hand-operated brakes rely on coaxial brake cables which actuate opposed calipers having pads which squeeze the rim of a bicycle wheel. Hand-operated brakes may be used on both the front and rear wheels to improve the braking capability of the bicycle rider. The present invention relates to a rotary actuator for a hand-operated braking system.